Baseball

Fitzke played college baseball at Wyoming, where he batted .372 in 1921; he later played for Idaho.^[1] Fitzke went on to play minor league baseball for parts of 10 seasons during 1924–1943.^[2] He pitched in 168 minor league games, compiling a 41–48 win–loss record.^[2] He best season, statistically, was in 1926 with the Scranton Miners when he was 16–8 with a 2.74 earned run average (ERA).^[2] Listed at 5 feet 11.5 inches (1.816 m) and 185 pounds (84 kg), he threw and batted right-handed.^[3]

Fitzke appeared in one major league game, with the 1924 Cleveland Indians.^[3] On September 1, 1924, Fitzke pitched in relief in the first game of a doubleheader against the St. Louis Browns.^[4] He entered the game to pitch in the bottom of the fourth inning, with the Browns leading, 6–2.^[4] In four innings of work, he faced 19 batters, allowing two runs on five hits and three walks, while striking out one batter (Browns shortstop Norm McMillan).^[4] Fitzke batted once during the game; he was called out on strikes in the sixth inning while facing Browns reliever Ray Kolp.^[4] Fitzke was removed in the top of the eighth inning when Glenn Myatt entered the game as a pinch hitter.^[4] Cleveland used pitcher Bub Kuhn to pitch the bottom of the eighth inning, taking the loss in what was also Kuhn's only major league appearance.^[4] Fitzke's earned run average (ERA) for his one major league appearance was 4.50.

Football

Fitzke played college football for Wyoming in 1921, before transferring to Idaho where he played two seasons.^[5] He played in the National Football League (NFL) for the Frankford Yellow Jackets in 1925, appearing in 16 games (13 starts).^[6] The NFL's website lists him as a wingback.^[7] Fitzke later coached college football for the Dubuque Spartans in Iowa in 1937 and 1938,^[1] and at Carbon College (now Utah State University Eastern) in Price, Utah, circa 1941.^[1]